After trading away their first-round pick on Friday, the Boston Bruins added seven players across Rounds 2 through 7 on Saturday—two goalies, a trio of skilled wingers, and a pair of defensemen—building out their next wave of talent.
The Bruins didn’t land on the clock at all during Friday’s first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. but the work didn’t stop there. By Saturday. general manager Don Sweeney and Boston had added seven more players across Rounds 2 through 7. a reminder that the organization’s pipeline still moves even when the marquee pick doesn’t.
Boston had parted ways with its 2026 first-round pick—No. 23 overall—and the Florida Panthers’ 2028 first-round selection, top-10 protected, in order to pry 24-year-old winger JJ Peterka out of Utah. With no selections in the first round. the Bruins leaned hard into their Day 2 plan. starting with a goalie they view as a long-range bet and continuing with a series of picks aimed at speed. puck pressure. and size.
Round 2, No. 56 overall: Yuri Ivanov, G (MHL)
Boston opened Day 2 with an off-the-board goalie choice in Yuri Ivanov. The 6-foot-2 netminder doesn’t turn 18 until September and was ranked as the 10th goalie in the 2026 draft class by NHL Central Scouting.
Ivanov posted a 13-3-1 record with a .924 save percentage for MHK Spartak Moskva in Russia’s top junior league after stepping into a starting role. He also led Spartak to the MHL finals, putting up a .928 save percentage over 16 playoff appearances.
The Bruins framed the pick as developmental patience. Sweeney said Ivanov will spend at least two years in Russia before heading overseas. Boston’s current depth also gives them flexibility with their timing—Jeremy Swayman is in place. and netminders like Michael DiPietro. Šimon Zajíček. and Max Lundgren are already in the system.
“We’re just really excited about where his game could get to. … I can just share that our goalie guys were really excited to take a swing here. ” Bruins director of amateur scouting Ryan Nadeau said. “We liked where this kid was going. I got to see him last weekend and meet with them. We just felt really comfortable with this pick right there.”.
Round 3, No. 88 overall: Nils Bartholdsson, RW (U20 Nationell)
A faster, more immediate offensive profile followed in Round 3 with Nils Bartholdsson. The Bruins selected an undersized but explosive forward.
Bartholdsson produced a major season for Rogle BK in Sweden’s under-20 league, scoring 23 goals and 19 assists in 32 regular-season games. In the postseason, he added nine goals and 17 points in nine games.
The numbers held up even in comparison with another Boston-targeted name: only 2026 first-round pick Alexander Command—No. 12 overall—outproduced Bartholdsson as an under-18 skater in J20 Nationell, posting 44 points in 30 games.
Boston acknowledged the risks that come with a 5-foot-10 frame. The question is whether he can hold up at the next level—especially when it comes to bringing the puck into Grade-A ice. But Sweeney called Bartholdsson a worthwhile gamble in the third round if his shot and speed translate to pro hockey.
“Nils’ case, he probably described himself, I heard, in terms of [Viktor Arvidsson]. So that’s that’s skill and competitiveness and interior ice play, and being in the right spot,” Sweeney said. “So we’re always trying to balance that. “We always believe that competitiveness and hockey sense — those are two of the areas of this game that coaches say are the two hardest things to improve upon. And so you want to start with that to make sure the players are wired that way.”.
Round 4, No. 104 overall: Matvei Kotkov, RW (MHL)
In the fourth round, the Bruins pivoted back toward Russia and took another scoring winger with Matvei Kotkov at No. 104.
Kotkov is listed as a 6-foot forward and was described as a player who hounds pucks and brings a sharp wrist shot. He scored 14 goals and 31 total points over 36 games with Loko Yaroslavl in Russia’s top junior league.
In the Kharlamov Cup Playoffs. he earned tournament MVP honors. scoring nine goals and 15 points in 18 games as Yaroslavl beat Spartak Moscow in the finals—meaning the run came right alongside (and against) Bruins prospect Yuri Ivanov. Kotkov is also a teammate of Bruins 2025 sixth-round pick Kirill Yemelyanov. who scored 32 goals and 57 points in 55 games against MHL competition.
Sweeney said his comfort with Kotkov grew from watching that broader development over time.
“Little benefit there of playing on the same team and having a massive playoff run. a long playoff extended run that Kotkov was able to do. ” Sweeney said of the shared context with Yemelyanov. “So I think that’s really important for us to see that over a period of time. watching his point totals as the year goes along. “Just really like the skill. He’s also grown quite a bit in the last little bit. so that catches your eye in terms of a player that has the skill set. and then he’s getting bigger as it goes along.”.
Like Bartholdsson, Kotkov carries a physical consideration. The knock is his smaller frame and how he might hold up against larger skaters. But if Boston is trying to add lottery-ticket scoring upside, Kotkov fits that idea.
Round 4, No. 122 overall: Oscar Olsson, LW (U20 Nationell)
Boston stayed on the wing and used pick No. 122 on Oscar Olsson, a 6-foot-4 forward described as a big-bodied target.
Olsson posted 14 goals and 30 points in 32 games for Örebro HK in Sweden’s under-20 league. The Bruins project that he will need to add weight—he’s listed at 187 pounds—but see him developing into a power forward who can win puck battles along the boards and also do smaller, detailed work.
They also see him as raw. He’ll likely need to simplify his game and lean more fully into that power-forward profile if he hopes to become a regular contributor at the pro level.
Round 5, No. 157 overall: Jacob Vandeven, D (OHL)
With Round 5, the Bruins added their first defenseman of the draft by selecting Jacob Vandeven.
Vandeven is a 6-foot-6 left-shot defenseman. and the scouting read is straightforward: he’s built for physical play. with promising projections if he keeps adding muscle. At the same time. he showed offensive skill in 2025-26. scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games with the Komoka Kings of the Greater Ontario Hockey League.
Late in the season. he earned a spot with the London Knights of the OHL. appearing in eight games with Dale Hunter’s club to close out the year. A lankier defenseman like Vandeven typically needs time to develop. but Boston’s view is that he can become a key D-man for the Knights before taking another step.
Round 6, No. 170 overall: Roberto Henriquez, G (USHL)
The Bruins then added their second goalie on Day 2 in Round 6 with Roberto Henriquez at No. 170, bringing in a Boston College commit.
Elite Prospects had ranked Henriquez as the No. 71 prospect in the entire draft class. The scouting report emphasized his skating and control, saying he has “some of the nicest footwork in the class,” with quick feet, impressive edge control, and strong push power.
Henriquez, who has a Dominican father and a Slovakian mother, was born and raised in Bratislava. He moved to the US in 2024 and eventually joined the USHL. He played the 2025-26 season with the Green Bay Gamblers and posted a .921 save percentage over 37 total games.
He is set to begin his college career at Chestnut Hill this fall.
“We love his competitiveness,” Nadeau said. “Kid who had a real strong year in Green Bay. Battles hard, like the athleticism. Just a kid who made a jump from last year, was on our radar pretty early with some play with the way he can attack pucks, and we stayed on it.”
Swayman, if his interest has followed, could recognize some of the path. Henriquez also played for the Anchorage Wolverines in 2024-25 and showed a willingness to drop the gloves with other goalies.
Round 7, No. 216 overall: Cullen McCrate, D (USHL)
Boston closed out its latest draft class by selecting an overager defenseman in Cullen McCrate at No. 216.
McCrate is listed at 6-foot-2 and shoots right. He put up a productive season with the USHL’s Fargo Force, scoring 10 goals and 30 points over 61 games. Boston acknowledged that the offensive output may see some regression against tougher competition. but also emphasized his heavy workload during 2025-26.
He’s expected to play for a loaded Michigan State team in 2026-27.
A goalie-heavy Day 2 didn’t dilute the Bruins’ message about what they want next. After trading into the JJ Peterka deal earlier in the process—moving the 2026 first-round pick at No. 23 overall and the Florida Panthers’ 2028 first-round selection. top-10 protected—Boston spent Saturday building a mix: a long-term project in Yuri Ivanov. a scoring approach from the wing with Nils Bartholdsson. Matvei Kotkov. and Oscar Olsson. defensive development through Jacob Vandeven and Cullen McCrate. and a second goalie addition in Roberto Henriquez.
Boston Bruins 2026 NHL Draft Day 2 picks Yuri Ivanov Nils Bartholdsson Matvei Kotkov Oscar Olsson Jacob Vandeven Roberto Henriquez Cullen McCrate JJ Peterka